When We Were Young
by Kaylie-JoCurtis
Summary: Two-Bit's up to his usual kleptomaniac antics again. Charlotte, his younger sister is devastated at the rate her brother is spiraling downhill. Grades, fights, theft - everything he does is tormenting her. Their parents, however, don't care what happens.
1. Just Like You

"Two-Bit, what the hell is wrong with you?" I snapped at the dinner table, "Your grades ain't never been higher than a 'D', you're always gettin' into fights, and you never take nothin' seriously!"

Two-Bit burst out laughing even more, "So, your point?" He lifted his feet up on the table.

"My point is, why can't you be a normal teenager for once? Hell, you've been held back how many times now?" I pounded my fists against the table.

Our parents just sat there quietly and continued eating as if nothing was wrong. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm younger than you, and even I know that what you're doin' ain't right!"

My mom took a swift glance at me. I hoped she'd cut in at some point to side with me. Maybe Two-Bit would actually listen to her instead. Nothing. I was always furious with my parents. It's like my brother and I didn't even exist none. Two-Bit always got into serious trouble. What's worse is once the fuzz were involved, he'd take his crazy antics up to the next level. Strangely enough, he's never been jailed before. His friends ain't no better than he was, so I've heard.

Sure, I've had my share of fights. Greasers are known for their violent behavior. Not all of us are like that.

I actually don't blame Two-Bit for his sporadic behavior. No one taught him otherwise. We had no _responsible_ parents, only the ones you see here before us. The ones who don't talk at nothin'.

"Charlie, lemme tell ya somethin'," Two-Bit leaned forward across the table, his face still red from laughing so hard, "I need ya to take that stick outta your ass now, ya hear?" He flew back in his chair bawling in a fit of laughter.

I couldn't take this no more. I pounded my fists as hard as I could, making everyone jump some.

"You're hopeless!" I shouted and kicked the chair out from under me and angrily left the table.

The entire table was silent when I left. Sure, I expected that from my parents but even Two-Bit fell silent and I could never get him to shut up. I hated seeing my brother like this, but I felt like there was nothin' I could do. He won't listen to a word I say so what's the use in tryin'?

I trudged over to my bed then collapsed onto it. I was still hungry, but not enough to be acknowledged by my family again. I laid there, starin' up at the ceiling. I heard Two-bit yuckin' it up at the table again. What the heck was so funny to that kid?

I heard the sound of the front door being slammed shut; I knew Two-Bit was goin' out again. I turned over onto my side and stared out the window and watched as he ran to catch up with his friends who were still in sight. I'd never really gotten a good look at who he hangs out with, I just knew there was a lot of 'em. Sometimes Two-Bit would talk about 'em. Hell, the one name I hear most often comin' from him was Dallas Winston. The name itself sounded threatening. I watched as the gang gave everyone a high-five. It must be nice havin' friends like that. No one's in a hurry to hang out with me none. At least I don't try to fit in, I like the way I am and I don't plan on changin' for no one. But maybe changin' was the only option I had to gain some friends. I shrugged the thought away and continued watchin' the group as they disappeared in the direction of the drive-in theatre, The Nightly Double.

I wasn't actually tired, so I decided to freshen up and go outside to catch some fresh air. Luckily it was a cool night. Not too hot, not too cold, it was perfect. I grabbed my jean jacket and headed out. I didn't have anywhere to go, so I just hung around the front of my house. Occasionally kicked a rock or whatever was lyin' on the ground. I dunno why, but every time I'm outside, I feel like I can do anything if I wanted to. I could become Superman, well, Superwoman if I really wanted to. But I knew that was all fiction, so the most I could probably do was climb a tree, which gave me an idea. There was this one tree down by the park I used to go when Two-Bit and I were kids. Well, he was ten and I was seven. Anyway, I had always wanted to climb this rather towering tree that grew by the slide, but I never had the chance to, considerin' how small I was back then. I decided I'd give it a try this time.

I dug my hands inside my jacket pockets and headed down to the park. It was a quiet night. The only sounds that were audible were dogs barkin' and trains blowin' their horns. The wind blew occasionally, and when it did, I would inhale deeply tryin' to get as much air into my lungs as I could, then exhale just as much. Considerin' we ain't rich or even middle-class, all I had on was a white tank top and a pair of old ripped jeans that I've worn for four years already. It's amazing I stayed the same size. I ain't the most gorgeous lookin' girl on the block; I'm rather average for my height and weight. A little on the short side, but not by much. I wore my hair down, only because I didn't have a lot. It was about shoulder-length, maybe even a little shorter. It was dirty blond in color, more brown than anything else. I had grey eyes like my brother's which I didn't mind none. It was one step away from blue which I hated because that's what most of the socs had. Grey was just enough for me.

As I rounded the corner to the park, I noticed a few children already playin' on it. I smiled as I approached the outer sides of the park. I couldn't help but think about the days of my youth when I was in their shoes playin' all crazy like that; runnin', jumpin', and grabbin' things. As I moved closer to the actual park, itself, I noticed the kids stop what they were doing, one by one. Each one glared in my direction. It was almost like one of them scenes from horror movies. I cocked an eyebrow, wonderin' what they were all starin' at. I glanced behind me, makin' sure no one was there. Thankfully no one was, but then what were they starin' at me for?

As it was silent, I tallied up all the kids. There wasn't more than seven. Each one was mutterin' somethin' to one another. All I happened to pick up was, "I think that's a greaser."

Again with the labeling! This made me just plain irritated. I saw four older women get up from the bench facin' the open park. They, too, stared blankly at me. What the heck was goin' on? I don't think I looked that scary.

Each of the four women grabbed each kid's hand and they all started walkin' away from the area. I exhaled sharply. I hated society and how everythin' was. Just because I was labeled as a 'Greaser' don't mean I'm aggressive none. I lowered my head in disgust. What were parents teachin' their kids these days? Honestly, it just don't make a lick'a sense!

As I watched them walk away and disappear from sight, I proceeded over to the park anyway. I walked over to the tree directly next to the slide, exactly how I imagined it before. I sighed some as I grabbed the first branch and made sure it was steady enough to hold my weight. I kicked off from the ground and grabbed onto the second branch and continued that until I was a good ten feet off the ground. It was surprisingly nice and comfortable up there. I sat down on one of the branches and dangled my feet off of it. I was proud of myself that I accomplished somethin' I always wanted to do. Well,_ one _of the many things I wanted to do before I die.

I still felt a little hurt by what had just happened with the kids and all, but I figured that I could prove 'em wrong in the end. A good hour went by, and I still wasn't tired of bein' in the tree. Growin' up, my nickname used to be 'Monkey' because I always liked to climb on stuff no matter how tall or scary lookin' it was.

Two-Bit and his friends must be on their way back home by now, I could almost hear them hollerin' from a mile or so away.

"Hey greaser!" I heard a voice from down below me. I glanced down, noticing three socs on each side of the tree.

"Shoot!" I muttered under my breath.

"Why don'tchu come down 'ere so we could have a lil' fun." I couldn't help but giggle because he sounded like he had a heavy New York accent.

"You think somethin's funny?" the head soc raised his voice some.

That instantly shut me right back up.

"Maybe you didn't hear me, I said come down, or we're comin' up!" He declared.

All three of them wreaked of alcohol and liquor. I almost had to hold my nose. What, did they roll around in vodka all day or somethin'? I didn't want to get down, but I knew they'd mess me up good if I didn't. I grabbed one branch down from me and climbed, carefully, back down. Before I could land on my feet, I felt a tug on the collar of my jacket and almost instantly the soc was in my face. I felt nauseas. Not because of the danger I probably got myself into, but because of how much stronger the stench of alcohol was.

"Man, yer pretty!" one of the other socs said, sarcastically, as they ganged up on me. Even if I had escaped the main soc's grasp, I couldn't get far because the other socs had me cornered.

"Why don'tchu just shut up and lemme go." I almost spit directly into his face.

"I don't see that happenin'." he did this colorful dance with his voice and right then, I knew I was in trouble.

The only other fights I've been in was one-on-one fist-fights with someone my age. These socs musta been at least three years older than I was, and I was fifteen! They had to be around my brother's age if anythin'. Well, might as well go down swingin'.

I forcefully kicked the soc in the shin. As he let go of me, I dropped to the ground. The gang of socs parted, leaving a wide enough space for me to attempt to escape. Knowing the chances of that were slim to none, there was still no harm in tryin', or so I thought. I lunged at the tiny opening only to get caught by another soc. Without even uttering a word to me, he slugged me right in the nose. As I flew backward, my head hit the ground with a thud along with the rest of my body, but that don't hurt anywhere near as much as my nose did. Blood smeared all across and down my face, but I didn't care none. Those socs deserved what was comin' to them next.

"Hey!" I heard a yell a few feet away from me. I couldn't exactly make out who it was because it was hard enough just to maintain breathin'. I manage to prop myself up on my elbows, the pain slowly subsided the more I sat up. Blood still gushed out of my nose, and some even got into my mouth. I tried my best not to upchuck and somehow managed to keep my cookies down.

"That's my sister you-" and that's all I heard before I heard a loud cracking sound from a punch being thrown. Multiple footsteps galloped around the area. I was just thankful that someone came to my rescue. I took my hands and cupped them, wiping as much blood as I could away from my face. I pinched my nose to stop the vital fluids from getting all over me again.

"You okay?" another voice approached me. It was dark, I couldn't tell who it was. I steadily nodded.

"Yeah, I think so." whoever it was helped me up and let me lean on them. The loss of blood made me lightheaded and shaky. My body wanted to collapse again, but I wouldn't allow it. How was I so weak all of a sudden? I've taken blows to the face like that before!

The individual who helped me up brought me over to the bench on the out-skirts of the park. I sat down, physically drained. I felt my body tremble slightly. I wasn't sure if it was from the cold, fear, or the pain. A lamp located next to the bench provided enough light for me to make out who the figure was.

He was handsome and well-built. His muscles were even visible through the sleeves of the shirt he was wearin'. He dressed similar to my brother with a leather jacket added on. I was a little nervous to ask for his name. He had blond almost bleached hair - I had to admit, I was diggin' it. His looks almost made me forget all about the pain. When he turned to look at me, he had the most gorgeous blue eyes I had ever seen. Although I really thought I hated blue, I didn't so much dislike it on him. His eyes oddly enough did not look friendly, but more antagonizing than anything, but he helped me, and that's all that mattered to me.

"Thank you," I thought I said, but apparently I didn't make it clear enough.

The guy looked at me oddly, "What?"

"I said thank you!" I raised my voice a bit.

Either I was too quiet or he was a bit more preoccupied with the fight goin' on in front of him.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Just stay here, all right? You've already caused enough trouble." He got up and ran over to assist my brother and his fiends beat the holy hell outta them socs.

Did he really just say that? Does he really think I _like_ causin' trouble? I rolled my eyes and the pain presented itself again. I focused my attention on my nose, but couldn't keep my eyes off the fight. Every instinct of mine told me to go in there and help, but I didn't wanna slow anyone down.

I directed my attention then to the other side of the park where a figure stood out the most. I almost had to squint my eyes to get a good look at him. I knew him to be one of my brother's friends because I've seen that figure a lot. He appeared a little too frail to be fightin', so I guess he was fine where he was.

I got up from the bench and swiftly ran over to the other side. This was probably gonna be my first and only interaction with Two-Bit's friends, so I might as well get to know as many as I could, find out a little bit about 'em.

"Hey." I said as I approached him.

He seemed a little shy because he managed a barely audible, "Hello" back to me.

"What's your name?" I flicked my head upward in the 'sup' motion.

I could tell the boy was a bit fearful to answer my question because he seemed a bit jumpy. He dug his hands into his pockets, just like I usually did sometimes.

"Johnny." He muttered softly, "You must be Two-Bit's sister."

I nodded, "Yup. Charlotte, but everyone tends to call me Charlie more often than not."

"Charlie, huh," Johnny smiled sheepishly.

I could also tell by the expression on his face that he don't get approached by no girls very much.

"So, Johnny. Ya gotta last name?" I asked, tryin' to sound cool and to strike up a fairly decent conversation with the time we had.

"Cade." He replied.

"Johnny Cade?" I asked as he nodded, "Pretty tough name." I smiled.

I coulda sworn I saw him blush, "Thanks."

He barely made eye contact with me, but I didn't mind none. I knew the word 'tough' was thrown around a lot in the group. I hear Two-Bit say it a lot. It only made sense if I tried it out.

I looked up at the fight, it was getting intense. The socs were only that much stronger than I thought they were. The smell of blood singed through the air along with dirt and sweat. It appeared as though my brother's gang was gainin' up on them pretty good. Fists were bein' thrown and ear-splittin' cries of pain erupted from either side of the gangs.

That was until Two-Bit flipped open his black-handled switchblade. The one he prized ever since he stole it. The fightin' came to a sudden halt and the socs arms flew up into the air in defeat.

"Whoa, buddy." The main soc said, unsteadily and out of breath.

"Let's get outta here, man!" Another one of them cried, "We ain't got no weapons."

"Yeah, you better get outta here," Two-Bit yelled, "And stay out! This is our parta town!"

The socs staggered to their feet and fled the scene without another word. Hoots and hollers were celebrated by Two-Bit and his friends. Winnin' a fight always called for some sort of celebration, but winnin' a fight unprepared was even more of a big deal. The group patted each other on the back and examined each other's wounds.

"Charlie, you okay?" Two-Bit ran over to me, still partyin' from his victory.

"Yeah," I replied, 'cuz I honestly had no idea what else to say other than that.

"What were ya thinkin'?" A voice behind Two-Bit rang out. A tall slim guy stood before me. He had rather dark hair that was greased back so I couldn't exactly tell how long it was.

"I... I," I started to say until I got scared.

"You weren't!" The guy spoke again, "You weren't thinkin' were ya?"

I started to get offended.

"Well, sorry if I wanted to go to the park to have a lil' fun!" I said apologetically sarcastic, "It won't happen again." I responded, softly under my breath.

"Hey, you shut yer trap!" The guy screamed back at me.

"Steve, cut it out." Two-Bit waved at him to stop.

I rolled my eyes. Gosh, was all of his friends this rude? 'Cept for Johnny though. He don't look the type to do that; don't look like he had it in him anyway.

Steve glared at me for a long while. I could tell he was tryin' to size me up, tryin' to get a good read on me.

By now it was late, but that didn't matter none 'cuz my parents don't care where Two-Bit and I are. They's in bed long before we get home anyway.

"I gotta split now." Johnny spoke up, "It's late, 'n who knows what my folks are up to."

I didn't quite understand what he meant by that.

"See ya!" I replied, kickin' a rock I found not too far out in front of me.

"Later, Johnny." Two-Bit patted him on the back.

"Yeah, me too." Another voice expressed.

Before I knew it everyone left, leavin' me and Two-Bit by our lonesome. I was a little too shaken up to say anything appropriate.

"C'mon, let's go home." Two-Bit placed his arm around me as we began to walk.

"Y-you mean you're not mad at me?" I asked, a bit taken aback. I looked up at him and all I could see was a substantial grin plastered on his face.

"Nah," he answered with a sigh, "Things like this happen all the time, it's the other guys ya gotta look out for."

"You mean your _friends_?" I asked.

"Them and the other greasers."

"Other greasers?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"You know, Tim Shepard and his gang." He said.

"Ah." I responded under my breath some. My nose had pretty much stopped bleedin' by now, if not slowed down.

I felt bad for slammin' him earlier with all my negative comments towards him. He's never like that to me.

"I'm sorry." I lowered my head.

"What for?" He asked.

"...Earlier." I said meekly.

"Don't worry about it." Two-Bit shrugged it off, "I actually appreciate it. You're the only one lookin' out for me and all when it should be the other way around."

I smiled. Were we havin' that special brother-sister moment just now? I didn't quite know, but whatever it was, I finally felt safe and it felt good.


	2. Let's Think About Livin'

As Two-Bit and I entered the house, we were astonished to find our parents hangin' out on the sofa in front of the television.

"Where the hell were you two?" Our mom stood up and stomped over to us.

Me and my brother were speechless. This was the first time she'd ever expressed any interest in us at all. We glanced at one another, not knowin' exactly what to say.

"Go to bed, both of you!" She screamed. I barely even knew my mom had a voice, she'd always been so quiet. She sounded like a completely different person. Did she finally get some sense knocked into her?

Even though she sounded furious, it was nice to know she cared about us for once. Dad didn't say nothin', though. Just one parent acknowledgin' our existence was enough for me.

Two-Bit and I wanted to show our parents that we were actually good children, so we both silently headed off to bed. Unfortunately, both of us shared the same room. The house we occupied wasn't exactly the most comfortable of homes available. It was a bit bigger than a trailer though, but it was good enough for me. We had two separate beds, luckily, so sharin' wasn't the issue.

I grabbed some tissues out of the bathroom and dampened a few to place on my nose for the night.

"The heck was that all about?" I asked directing my voice into the bedroom.

"Hell if I know." Two-Bit fell onto his bed.

I had to admit, each of us looked like a wreck. I was curious as to why my mom didn't notice our faces when we walked through the door. I let out a deep sigh. Maybe it was just a fluke, her carin' about us like that. I stared at myself blankly in the mirror, examinin' what had been done to me.

"Man, them socs are messed up." I remarked, now on my third tissue still wipin' the remnants of blood from around my face.

"They's worse than that." Two-Bit responded, rather aggressively.

"Hm." I said, holdin' my head up, tryin' to prevent my nose from bleedin' further. I pinched my nose with my right hand and tried to feel where I was walkin' with my left. I knew I was goin' the right way when I heard Two-Bit crack-up a storm.

"Shaddup." I laughed with him.

"What're you supposed to be, a seal or somethin'?"

I really tried not to burst out laughin' as long as I had the tissue on my nose because I knew that would ruin all my hard work to stop the bleedin'.

Two-Bit continued to poke fun at me as I made my way over to my bed. I couldn't wait to lay down once again. My back and body ached somethin' bad. I knew I'd be real sore by mornin'.

The sun peeked over the horizon just a few hours after I'd gone to sleep. It was five forty-six in the mornin' and I had to get up for school at six. I could still hear Two-Bit snorin' away in the bed a few feet away next to mine. It didn't bother me none. It helped me stay awake, rather than go back to sleep like I wanted to. I rolled over onto my side and stared out the window. Normally, I'd like goin' to school. Mainly 'cuz I loved watchin' Two-Bit make a fool outta himself in front of his friends in the mornin' before the bell would ring.

I stretched out on my bed and totally didn't notice that Two-Bit had stopped snorin'. I heard a noise directly behind me. Before I could turn and see who it was, a bucket of water came down on top of me. So much for a shower.

"Two-Bit!" I screamed, pissed as hell as I grabbed by sheets and threw them off of me. It would be one thing if the water had been warm at least, but this was freezin' cold!

"You are _dead_!" I pulled my hair back that the water had draped over my face.

I could hear him laughin' over the sound of my own wrathful voice. I lost my temper for a little while 'cuz I started throwin' everything I could get my hands on at him; a chair bein' one of 'em.

"I was up, dammit!" I yelled. He just wouldn't stop bawlin' up a laughing fit!

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted somethin' shiny. The infamous switchblade that Two-Bit kept with him at all times. I smirked somethin' evil as I lunged at the nightstand next to his bed. I snatched it and held it up in front of me.

"Let's see what happens when I snap this in half!" I flipped the blade open and held onto the back of the blade with one hand and the handle with the other.

To my surprise, Two-Bit continued laughing.

"You can't break a blade like that, ya bonehead!" He clapped his hands as no sound escaped his mouth, yet he still proceeded to laugh, so he looked like a retarded seal.

He was right. No matter how much pressure I applied in tryin' to break the damn thing, it just wouldn't make a dent. Boy, did I feel stupid! The one thing that coulda proved my intelligence did a complete one-eighty on me, so I surrendered.

"All right, you win." I said in a rather calm and collected tone. At least I was now all the way awake.

"Get ready. We got school in an hour." I said as I chucked the blade onto his bed, "But I will getchu back!" I scolded.

"Uh-huh, sure ya will. You ain't no trickster like me!" He called after me as I headed to the bathroom, "You don't know nothin' about prankin' people."

"Oh, you'd be surprised!" I replied back to him, although he was right about that too, I didn't know nothin' about no pranks. I knew with my clever mind and facetious ways, I could cook somethin' up no problem.

Once I was finished putting an outfit together, I yanked open the drawer to my nightstand and found exactly what I was lookin' for. A lighter. I knew what I was about to do later that day would be a bit risky, but I wanted to get my brother back so badly, I just couldn't wait to stir up another idea. I placed the lighter safely into my back pocket. Bringin' it to school would be the most precarious idea of all.

I waited patiently on my bed for Two-Bit to be ready so we could walk to school together. I couldn't help but smile to myself.

"What's so funny?" He asked as he threw on his blue Mickey Mouse shirt that he treasured with everything he's got.

He was askin' _me _what was so funny? I couldn't help but chuckle even more. I shook my head.

"Nothin'." I finally understood what made life so funny to him.

"Let's go!" He hollered tossing his leather jacket in the air and catching it as he strolled out the door. I followed him.

I knew once his friends met up with him, it was time for me to skedaddle. Unfortunately, not even half way to school, it started to downpour. I didn't have nothin' on me to shield myself from the icy droplets, so I flipped up the collar of my leather jacket to at least keep the rain from seeping into my shirt. Mud puddles started to form along the ground, making it hard to stay on path. I glanced behind me and saw Two-Bit kickin' up water from the puddles splashin' Johnny and the other guy that was with him. His other friend I remembered seein' the previous night at the mini-rumble; never did get his name.

"Hey, Pony, watch this!" I heard Two-Bit yell.

Pony? What is that, a name? I turned around, walking backwards to see what was goin' on. He strayed off the path over to an acorn that lay on the ground. I watched as he aimlessly kicked it in my direction.

Instinctively, I dropped to the ground to avoid the hurtling acorn, then almost instantly regretted it. My clothes, my books, my new jacket all ruined by mud. I stood back up, too angry for words.

"Two-Bit, I'm gonna kill you!" I shouted.

"That a threat or a promise?" Two-Bit chuckled loudly.

"It's both if you don't cut it out!" I squeezed out the water that was stuck in my shirt. My hair was also a mess, I noticed. I huffed in embarrassment, trying my best to just let it go.

I reached into my back pocket and tossed the lighter around in my hand. I smirked something' evil. The prank I still had in mind I was definitely gonna go through with. I'll show him!


	3. A Dangerous Mind

It wasn't even close to lunch when I figured out what I was gonna do. I didn't want to think about it too much because I always had this strange suspicious that teachers could read minds. The lighter was safely tucked into my back pocket along with my dignity. With my adrenaline pounding within me, I found it hard to sit still all through class. Today was gonna be long. I slouched down on my seat. Luckily, I sat in the very back of the class because I hated being noticed by anyone. That's probably one of the reasons I had no friends. I never wanted to be acknowledged.

"Now before we get started, let's review from the beginning. How does Oliver violate the rules of the workhouse?" I head the teacher ask vaguely while I was still in the doorway of my own world, "Charlotte?"

Shoot, was I being called on? I didn't respond.

"Charlotte Mathews." The teachers voice rang again.

I realized by now that all eyes were on me. There was no escaping it. I had to answer the dang question.

"Um, he asks for more gruel?" I said in a rather high-pitched voice, the type of voice I'd use if I was lyin'.

"Very good, Charlotte, but do try to pay more attention. I can tell you're not entirely here mentally." The teacher nodded in my direction.

I sat up straight again and joined my hands together on top of the desk, "Yes, Miss Blake." I smiled sweetly at her.

"Good." Her eyes moved to the chalk board to continue with the lesson as everyone else studied their books in front of them.

I shuffled through my books which were still covered with dried mud and dirt, trying to find the book Oliver Twist. I didn't appear to have it with me. I started to panic some. This never happens, I never forget anything!

Then I remembered plunging into the mud whilst everything flew out of my hands. I guess I must have forgotten a book, the book I just so happened to need the most today. I sighed and forced my weight against the back of my chair. The teacher continued to stare in my general direction.

"Miss Mathews, why don't you have your book out?" She asked, her hands on her hips. I could tell that she wasn't mad, just probably annoyed at me at worst. What was I supposed to say? That I rolled around in mud before school?

"I," I started briefly, then realized I still had no idea what to say, "I musta left it at home." I shrugged.

"This isn't like you, Miss Mathews," The teacher flexed her back, "But you know the rules, you know this calls for a detention."

My mouth fell open. Detention was a place I ain't never gone to before and I tried to avoid it the whole semester. I stared blankly as she walked over to her desk, pulled out that dreaded narrow slip of paper, and jotted down my name across it. I buried my head in my arms, trying to hide my frustration.

She walked over to my desk and set the piece of paper directly on top of it, next to where my head was down.

"Try to be more prepared next time." Ms. Blake looked a little troubled.

I heard the rest of the class snicker and giggle at me. I never felt so humiliated, almost. I felt my ears heat up with all the blood rushing to my face. I wanted to flee the classroom immediately, but I had to tough it out, just like Two-Bit had always told me to do.

"If the worst ever happens, tough it out." Is what he'd always say.

I flattened my upper body against the surface of the dest. Maybe if I fell asleep, this would all be over in a matter of seconds.

Just as I thought all hope was lost, the bell rang loud and melodiously. I threw my hands up while squeaking out the word, "Finally."

I grabbed my stuff and was ready to get to lunch. I was starved!

"Miss Mathews, could I speak to you for a moment?" The teacher called me over to her desk.

Dog gone it! Just a split second more and I would have been out the door on my way to the cafeteria. I let out a stressful sigh as I dragged my feet over to her desk.

"Yes, Miss Blake?" I asked in the sweetest voice I could possibly come up with.

"What's going on?" She asked blatantly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, cocking one eye brow.

I notice her examine my clothing.

"I slipped. It was raining outside and I slipped." I enunciated firmly.

"I see." She nodded, "I couldn't help but notice that you looked like something was troubling you. Is everything all right?" She stared me down.

I could feel the chills prick up the back of my spine.

"Y-yeah." I nervously stuttered, making sure the lighter wasn't in any way protruding from my back pocket.

Miss Blake eyed me for a while. My mouth went dry. I felt like she knew what I was thinking. Did I think about the plan for too long? Does she know what I'm gonna do?

I stared up at her like a lost puppy - fearful and shaken.

"Just making sure," she glanced at her watch and smiled, "You're free to go."

"Thank you, m'am." Without another word, I galloped outta there as quickly as I could, making sure I wouldn't get stopped again on my way out. Politeness was always key in maneuvering outta sticky situations.

I wanted to stop by my locker really fast so I could drop off my soil infested school books, so I could get washed up and eat without worrying about catching some weird disease.

I peeled open my locker, chucked everything in there, then locked it back up.

"Charlie!" I heard someone call out my name. I had forgotten my locker was directly next to my brother's. My brain was cookin' up somethin' fierce the moment he swung open his locker.

"Don'tchu ever keep a lock on that thing?" I asked, observing the messiness that haunted the inside of it.

"What for?" He asked, cocking an eye brow.

"So nothin' would get stolen," I threw up my hands signaling how obvious the answer should be.

"I don't care none." He said rather cooly, "If someone wants my books, hell, they could have 'em!"

I shook my head, but just then my brain baked up the most ingenious plan ever.

"Well, I'm off to lunch, see ya!" He said, tossing an apple in my direction.

I caught it and examined it. So much for cafeteria food.

I scanned the hallways thoroughly, making sure no one noticed me slink through the janitor's closet. Was nothing ever locked at this school? This was the only time I was glad that things weren't. I waited patiently for a few minutes. I peeked out from behind the door, just a bit. The halls seemed to be clear of staff and students. This could be my only chance to do what I was about to do. I carefully opened the closet all the way, tip-toed graciously across the hall over to Two-Bit's locker, yanked the tiny door open, emptied everything that was in there, caught each book in my arms, and darted like lightnin' back inside the janitor's closet. I shut the door even more swiftly. It was dark, but wouldn't be for long. I laid the materials out onto the floor. I reached into my back pocket and revealed the lighter. I clicked it open and pressed down on the lighty-mechanism. Bam, insta-fire!

I moved the glistening flame over to the books and held it there for a brief moment. My eyes sparkled as I admired the flame some. Then, without another second's hesitation, I stuck the flame directly under the corner of one book. I watched as the tiny flame grew bigger and wider. It moved from one book to another before all of them went up in flames. I didn't realize that the flames had already blocked the door, hindering me from escaping. My heard began to pound within my chest. I had never set anything on fire before. I wasn't sure what would happen!

The flames moved from the books onto the janitor's things on the shelves. The smoke began to consume the room, making it difficult to breath. I started to choke. I was frightened as I ever.

"Help!" I screamed helplessly while pounding on the walls of the closet. The heat of the flames had me sweatin' in an instant. I regretted playing this prank. Two-Bit was right, I had no idea how to pull one off the right way. Now, I was paying the price.

"Someone, please help!" I howled, frantically.

Suddenly I heard screams coming from the hallway. Finally!

"Fire!" I heard individuals yell from one side of the hall to the other.

"In here!" I called out, but no one seemed to hear me. The flame was crawling up the door. Sounds of crackling made me realize that the fire had spread to the outside hallway. There was no chance of finding help now.

Tears streamed down my face, I didn't want to die, not like this!

The flames roared around the closet, cornering me to one side of the closet. I couldn't move, if I did, I'd be toast, literally!

Pieces of ceiling started to crumble and fall all around me. This whole place was about to cave in, and no one would ever be able to recognize my charred remains once this was all over with.

"I'm not gonna die, I'm not gonna die, I'm not gonna die!" I repeated those words over and over again. With each statement, the fire advanced in my direction.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't scream for help anymore. This was it. The end.

I turned to face the wall to protect my face and other vital body parts. The tears began to sting my cheeks because the fire was heating them up so much. I trembled, hoping if I was gonna die that it would just happen already.

"Charlie?" I heard a familiar voice on the opposite side of the flames.

"I'm here!" I called out in the loudest voice I could.

A figure emerged from the flames.

"Two-Bit!" I couldn't have been any happier to see him.

"Come on!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me through the flames.

I still found it hard to breathe. I glanced behind me and saw the flames devouring the hallway and each classroom. Everyone seemed to be out already. I gasped more and more the longer I ran.

My hand slipped from Two-Bit's and I collapsed onto the ground in a painful heap. I felt him pick me up and throw me into his arms. My whole body throbbed and burned. He saved me, my brother saved me!

I opened my eyes half-way once again, "I'm sorry." I muttered faintly, "I did this." The last part of my sentence was cut short because at that moment I lost consciousness and it all went dark.


	4. Scream, Aim, Fire!

I was surrounded by a bouquet of colorful lights. Red, green, and blue flashed around all around me. This didn't seem realistic at all. What the hell is going on? What is this place? Thoughts and feelings rushed over me like I was being pulled underwater. I couldn't breathe. Wherever I was, it was scolding hot. I tried to scream out but nothing escaped my lips. Falling into nothingness, I reached out my hand, hoping that someone would pull me through this nightmare. I suddenly felt a tug on my arm and a hand grasped mine. I clenched my hand tightly trying my best not to let go. The more I was tugged upward, the easier it was to breathe. Whatever pain I was feeling started to subside. I could see the light of day, so I hoped. I really didn't want it to be heaven and I really didn't want to die. I closed my eyes tightly as my body continued being dragged upward. Then suddenly darkness once again.

"Charlie!" I head familiar voices on either side of me. I felt a sense of calmness throughout my body knowing that I was around people I knew. I wasn't dead, I assured myself, just sleeping?

That thought jolted me awake instantaneously. Not aware of my surroundings, I sat up abruptly and propped myself up on my elbows and coughed endlessly.

"Someone get her some water, now!" I heard another voice call. My hearing was gradually coming back into focus and the sound of sirens and loud noises blared in the background.

I felt something being forced into my hands. It was cold, I was grateful. The pain of reality stared settling in once again. My body burned and ached tremendously. Then, it all came back to me. Where I was. What happened, and how. I felt my eyes open on their own. It was bright, too bright and I wasn't used to it. I squinted my eyes to get a better look as what was really going on around me. Flashes of red, blue, and white flickered in front of me. Then it hit me like a baseball bat. The school. My brother. The prank. The fire. The school!

I stared blankly in the direction of the school not wanting to believe what I was seeing. My mouth fell open as I watched the school engulf in flames. My hearing seemed to spring into action because screams and echoes came into focus.

"There's people still in there!" I coughed, trying my hardest to get the words out of my mouth. Nothing seemed to be working.

"What?" Everyone leaned in.

"Aw, hell!" I weakly jumped to my feet and hit the ground runnin'. Bad idea. Almost immediately after I did that, my focus started fading again. My head was spinning, but I didn't let that get to me. I fought through the pain and uneasiness. I ignored the calls after me. Firefighters and police surrounded the building. It was roped off, but I still somehow needed to get inside. A window on the bottom floor seemed to be fire-free. I dove into the glass, right arm first. The glass shattered as I hit the ground on the inside of the building. Here come the fumes again. I pinched my nose as I stood back up. The burns on my legs singed even more the closer I got in the direction of the fire. I needed to get up to the second floor and fast!

"Hello?" I choked as I shielded my face from the flames. The pain was unbearable, but my adrenaline kicked in again, easing the agony slightly.

Screams and cries erupted from the floor above me. Now that I had more room than I did in the closet, I had a better chance at dodging the fire.

I finally approached the stairs and glanced up. I couldn't see the top of the stairs! Smoke and ash draped the platform of the staircase like a curtain. I hesitated for a moment but then the thought occurred to me. If the students up there died, it would be my fault. Jail just wasn't for me. I always thought Two-Bit would be the first one jailed out of me and all his friends. I needed something to prove that I wasn't a bad person and a stupid pyromaniac. My legs seemed to move on their own. I went to use the hand-railing to help me speed up, but as soon as I grasped it, I felt and heard my skin burn from the extreme heat that the metal had already conducted. I cradled my arm as I proceeded upward.

"Hello?" I cried again, choking on the smoke yet again.

"Help us, please!" I heard the youthful voices frantically scream.

I approached the doorway of a classroom. The door was sealed shut. I banged on the door hard to let them know someone was there to rescue them.

"Help!" The voices came again.

"I'm tryin', I'm tryin'!" I grunted, with one hand flattened on the door as I proceeded to think of a way to get them out. The door was made of wood so it shouldn't be hard to smash in. I was a bit surprised that it hadn't caught fire yet, but I was relieved at the same time.

"I need you to step away from the door, can you do that?" I shouted through the door. I heard the sound of shuffling footsteps on the other side.

"Okay!" A voice cried out.

Here it goes. I took a deep breath in as I realized there wasn't much time for hesitation, the fire would consume the entire place in minutes if not seconds. I tore my leather jacket off me and tossed it to the side. I couldn't have anything holding me back. I watches as it was swallowed up by the flames before it even hit the ground. I knew that was going to be me if I didn't hurry up. I held my breath in as I lifted my right leg up in the air and lashed it forward. The door crashed off its hinges and collapsed to the ground in pieces.

A swarm of students occupied all corners of the classroom. I entered as I tried to count how many there were. Fifteen!

"I need you guys to follow me, okay?" I ordered as I turned around to face the exit, but the flames were already inches away from the doorframe. Shoot, new plan! My eyes darted around the room desperately trying to find a way out for these kids. Considering the school I attend is a mix between elementary, middle, and high school students, I couldn't tell what grade these kids were in. I didn't care, I just knew whatever age they were, they were too young to lose their lives over a stupid fire that I caused!

I could hear around me the kids start coughing and wheezing as well. Time was running out for all of us. Without thinking, I grabbed a chair from under the desk and through it at the only window in the room.

"C'mon!" I yelled as loud as I could, "Through here!"

One by one the students began lining up by the window. This was a mighty risk I was willin' to take, but there was no other way. There was a ledge before the roof sloped down off the first floor. Each kid I assisted through the window. Once out, they stood by the ledge looking down.

"Don't look down!" I commanded as I watched the kids look away.

"I can't do it!" One of the meek voices snuck up behind me.

"You have to!" I exclaimed.

"I'm too scared!" She started chewing on her finger nails and the tears swept down her face.

I let out a deep sigh. I knew this wasn't going to end well, either for me or the girl or both of us. Everyone else was safely outside. I knelt down beside the girl.

"Listen, there's no need to be afraid." I stared, "I have a fear of heights too, but I know if I don't jump," I shrugged, letting her figure out the rest of that sentence, "Now, I'm going to be right beside you, okay?" I took her by the hand.

She nodded and went with me over to the window. I helped her through it and followed right behind her.

The line of students were still huddled by the edge of the platform. I glanced down, swallowed hard, and cleared my throat, "We need help up here!" I called out to the firemen who were too preoccupied to listen to me, "Hey!" I yelled even louder than before. I began to feel nervous. What if I lead these kids to their doom anyway? I blinked away the tears and shook my head. These kids weren't going to die because of me!

I breathed in all the air I could fill into my lungs and screamed, "Hey!"

Immediately after, the hoses turned off and the sirens stopped. Finally, some attention!

"We got a situation. Bring out the net." I heard one of the officers call out.

I took one final glance behind me. The flames were rapidly reaching the window sill. Hurry up!

"All right, send 'em down one at a time!" The police and firefighters gestured as they unfolded the net.

I cringed. For some reason, it didn't look safe at all. I swallowed hard once more.

"Okay, you ready?" I asked the kids as they nodded one by one.

The first kid leapt off the building like he was diving into a pool. I counted up the kids again as they jumped down to safety. It hit me suddenly, if I were to jump down with them, I'd be cuffed in an instant. Saving these kids would mean nothing to them. I had to leave. I had to get out of there before they threw the cuffs on me.

I fled as fast as I could back through the building. I felt my clothes catch fire some, but the faster I ran, the quicker the fire went out. If I was speedy enough, I'd be able to fly through the flames even without avoiding them. I ran down the stairs and towards the back entrance. I opened the door just ajar, just enough to peer out without anyone noticing. No one was around the back, which left a clear open path for my escape.

Tripping over my own feet, I cheesed it. My chest was burning from the smoke, heat, and ash from the fire. I had more than enough time to deal with that later, when I was home.

I didn't get too far when I overheard the sound of footsteps not too far behind me. Thinking it was the fuzz, I did my best to lose 'em.

"Charlie, dammit, stop!" I heard Two-Bit's voice instead of a cop's, as I was anticipating.

I came to a jogging halt; tired and out of breath. I felt sick, like I was just about to vomit.

"Two-Bit?" I asked, barely even in a whisper. My breathing finally caught up to me, "I dunno what to do, Two-Bit, I'm scared!" I panted frantically. I turned to face him and caught sight of Johnny and that Pony kid on either side of my brother. I really felt sick to my stomach now.

"We'll getchu home." That kid Pony reassured me.

I sighed an 'okay' as the four of us headed in the direction of home, leaving the burning school behind us.


	5. Can't Go Back

The thought of all those kids and how I could have killed them wouldn't escape my mind. They were safe 'cause of me, but they also could have died 'cause of me. I wasn't sure which one outweighed the other. The fire could have been avoided if I didn't bring my lighter to school, which incidentally I left at the crime scene. Tears streamed down my face as I headed towards safety. Sirens and alarms continued to follow me. My guilty conscience led me to believe I was still being chased by the authorities, even though in reality I wasn't. I was scared, no doubt about that. Normally, Two-Bit would run much faster than I would, but in situations like this, where I am to blame, it was different. I felt my heart pound violently inside my chest, I was gonna pass out again, I knew it. I still hadn't fully recovered from almost bein' burned to death, myself. Fleeing from the scene didn't help any. I knew if I were to collapse, Two-Bit wouldn't leave me there by my lonesome only to get caught and maybe even killed at this rate. I remembered from my history class we were taught that if someone leaves a crime scene when they are to blame, it counts as double the punishment. Heaven knows what was already in store for me. I didn't wanna find out. My breathing increased some and so did my pace, makin' it hard for Two-Bit and the boys to catch up.

Finally, I could see my house in the clearing. I felt like I could fly there if I wanted to. My mom was gonna flip and my dad, well, I never know what's goin' on in that brain'a his. Anything could happen at this point, whether I wanted to know what that was or not. I was laggin' some and Two-Bit, Johnny, and that Pony kid caught up to me. My body ached and burned. Out of all four of us, I was the most damaged by the fire. Of course, I stupidly went back inside the building a second time, which only made things that much worse, but it was for a good cause. Two-Bit looked dirty, that was it. The other two boys seemed perfectly fine, like they weren't even inside the school to begin with.

Before we were able to make it to my house, we all glanced to our right and saw a police car not too far away. It was headed for our direction and there was not much we could do.

"Get down!" Two-Bit hissed as we dove behind a half-dead, half-collapsed tree. It was old, but thick enough to camouflage all four of us from our surroundings.

I couldn't control my breathin'. I was panting so hard, anyone within a one-hundred foot radius could hear me! There was no way we could stay hidden for long. I chewed on my tongue to distract me from the pain of breathing. Though it didn't help much, it eased the focus.

Then we feared the worst. We heard the sound of a gun bein' loaded. How the hell did this crime require gettin' shot? I looked more carefully in the direction the noises were comin' from. I eyed the gun a little better and could see it wasn't the type of gun used to kill people. It was more like a tranquilizer dart gun.

"If she ain't gonna cooperate, we gotta do it the hard way." The officer stated as he cocked the gun and was ready to fire.

"She couldn't 'ave gotten far." His partner examined the area thoroughly.

The four of us sprawled out flat on our bellies, pinning ourselves against the ground. The sound of footsteps drew nearer and nearer and we directed our attention to it. I tried holdin' my breath as I saw the other three do. I swore I was gonna die. It was either by bullet or holdin' my breath too long. I didn't fancy neither of those ideas!

The rustle of leaves only signaled that they were quickly approachin'. Footstep after footstep, the officers broke into a run. I was just afraid they'd shoot at anyone who happened to pass by. There goes my guilty conscience again. I dwelled on the thought of turnin' myself in. If I'd ever been in jail before, things mighta been different and I might have admitted to bein' guilty, but I ain't never been there before and I didn't wanna start now.

"Maybe the consequences won't be as severe." I whispered mainly to my brother.

"Hell are you talkin' about?" Two-Bit exclaimed in the softest whisper imaginable, oddly confused.

"I mean I already made up for half'a the crime, maybe I'll be let off easy." I shrugged, still pinned against the ground not darin' to move.

"Ain't no one ever gets let off easy in this town." Johnny remarked.

All three boys wouldn't take their eyes off me. It was like they were anticipatin' on what I was plannin' to do next.

"Yeah, and what's your parents gonna think?" Pony asked.

"They ain't gonna care where I am. They wouldn't even care if I was dead somewhere." I raised my voice some then quickly realized my loudness and turned the volume down some.

"That ain't true, Charlie, and you know it!" Two-Bit expressed. I could tell he wanted to whoop me upside the head, but that would definitely blow our cover, "Just the other day she was worried 'bout us, ya remember that?"

I didn't wanna argue 'cause I knew it wouldn't do any of us any good. We'd have plenty of time once we made it back home, if I ever did. I could still see the house from where we were hidin'. We needed to think of a plan to get from behind the tree, through the street, then end up on the other side of the road without being noticed. That sounded damn near impossible and this time, it _would_ hurt to try. I wouldn't be so terrified if they didn't know what I looked like. Upon savin' those kids, my face was revealed to the whole public when we were on the roof. My face would be on the cover of the news anyway by the next mornin'. I shook my head, tryin' to rid myself of all fearsome thoughts.

"We gotta go." I bit my lip, knowin' what the punishment would be if I didn't make it to the other side'a the road.

"What?" All three of them whispered in unison.

"The fuzz ain't leavin' and we can't stay here forever." They knew I was right. Knowin' them officers of the law, they'd stake out all night if they had to and I knew damn well it was now or never, "We have a chance to make it across."

Nothin' was uttered for the next few seconds until Pony nodded, "I have a plan."

We carefully constructed a strategy that would help us get from one side of the street to the other and I'm surprised I hadn't thought of it sooner. The back way! I glanced behind me and no authority figures were in sight. We had a chance! All we had to do was find our way into the backyards of people's houses, jump a few fences, wait until everything was clear, and make it home safely. This all sounded pretty convincing when we planned it. I let Pony lead the way since he was the one who came up with the ingenious idea. I followed closely behind him, then Two-Bit, then Johnny. It was gettin' late. Five o'clock was roundin' the corner and the sun was slowly setting. I began feeling ashamed of myself.

"If we do make it back," I started, pausing for a brief moment while climbing and jumping down from fences, "I'm gonna have'ta hide for the rest of my life, ain't I?"

No one uttered a word and I knew it to be true. I was done for. Might as well turn myself in, do the time, and get out within a few weeks, maybe. Rather that than hide my face for the rest of my life. All this thinkin' made my head hurt, not like it didn't hurt already, but it didn't help any, either.

"Maybe we won't go home." Two-Bit responded a few minutes later.

"What do you mean?" I turned to him.

"Maybe they won't find you if-" He paused hesitantly, "If you're in a different state."

I was a bit taken aback by his response. That was a good idea, but I didn't want to leave. Where would I go? I pondered the thought for a while. I knew he was right, they wouldn't find me in another state, but where? How will I know when to stop running? I'd be all alone. That sounded almost worse than jail.

"No, Two-Bit. I ain't leavin'." I took a deep breath, "I'm turnin' myself in."

"Are you nuts?" Pony exclaimed in bewilderment.

"The hell's wrong with you?" Two-Bit shot at me. All responses were being thrown at me at once.

Johnny didn't say nothin'. I knew he understood that my idea was the best bet. Hell, I wouldn't be jailed for life. If everyone died, then yeah, I'd be charged with second degree murder, but that wasn't how it played out. I just destroyed a building. What kinda punishment will that get me? A few nights in jail, maybe a month at most? It don't seem so bad now that I think about it.

As everyone leapt over the seventh and final fence, I stayed behind.

"Charlie, c'mon." Two-Bit gestured me to climb up and over.

I shook my head.

"Take care, all right?" My voice trembled as I spoke. I knew if I stayed there long enough, I'd break down into tears.

"What?" He approached the fence and grabbed the wiring, "Charlie-"

Before he could finish I cut him off, "It's better this way, trust me." I replied in a monotoned voice. I nodded in Pony's direction as if to say 'hold him back'. He nodded back at me as if he understood.

I turned and ran as fast as I could away from them. I could feel the tears generating already.

"No!" I heard Two-Bit yell. I glanced back briefly only to see Pony and Johnny trying to hold him back from chasing after me, "Let me go!"

"Bye." I whispered under my breath to myself as the first of many tears slid down my face.

When I revealed myself to the main road, that's when I heard the sirens go off and the sound of many footsteps headed in my direction. I didn't run. This time I'd let them take me. Hell, I deserved it. A couple houses down I saw my brother and his friends emerge from the backyard of a house. I didn't want them to see this, but it was too late for me to do anything. It was over.

I felt my arms being yanked behind my back and I was brought to my knees. Metal objects bound my hands together, I couldn't pull 'em apart. They had me cuffed. I was grabbed by the collar of my shirt and brought to my feet by one of the officers. I grunted. It hurt, a lot, but I worked with 'em. I didn't pull away. I didn't scream, though I sure felt like it.

After I was pulled to my feet I felt something pinch my left arm. I whimpered as I turned my head to see what was happening. An injection? Did I really need one? I didn't pose as any threat, so I thought. The medication in the injection started to kick in almost instantly. I felt woozy and light headed. Everything happened in flashes, and before I knew it, I hit the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: _Not gonna lie, I'm really getting into this story. I never like my work, but this one seems to be different. I'm adding a lot more suspense and drama, I suppose. Let me know how you like it so far. Should I keep going?_


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